Zacchaeus

Sometimes in life, the shortest of those may do the tallest deeds to many. You will not expect such to happen until you meet the greatest Giver of all life. Here is a tree top tale told by the person himself. You will not see much but you will hear much of him.

I am Zacchaeus. I am a chief tax-collector. My job is to manage the group of tax collectors under me. I am a busy man. Though my size may be a pity to some, many do not like me because I am a tax collector myself. I am quite big time in tax collection.

So what have I got to do with a tree top tale? The interesting thing is that I got to meet someone special when I was on a tree top. I was surrounded. I was probably looked at with irritable eyes and hateful eyes. In fact I was looked down in many aspects more than just my size.

I was not able to hear and see what was the commotion around a special person by the name of Jesus. The people were like giants surrounding this Jesus; like the very big stone that blocked the way of my escape. I was being pushed backwards where I tripped over the root on the ground.

There seated on the ground I was almost as low as I could become when the green of the tree caught my eye. I quickly got on my feet and leaped onto the trunk and pulled myself up the tree. As I climbed I subtly felt I was beginning to grow taller. Eventually I felt I was almost like on top of the world and there below were the scrubs.

I could hear the sound of the birds more clearly. I could smell the aroma of the leaves more intensively. I could listen to the voice of Jesus more sharply. I could see the person of Jesus more vividly. The view was awesome and full of wonder.

Now my presence on the tree has caught the attention of the crowd below and also caught the eye of the Lord. He spoke to me directly now to come down and said that he now wants to come to my household. With this invitation, my heart was convicted somehow.

I stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to me, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

The End.

* Read the full account in the Bible as recorded in the book of Luke, Chapter 19:1-10
:)